Special Correspondent; Dbarta24 — Police headquarters has issued a nationwide high-alert directive to all regional and metropolitan police units, urging heightened vigilance following a series of recovered Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and subsequent bomb scares across the capital and surrounding districts.
The security alert was communicated to DIGs, Metropolitan Police Commissioners, and District Superintendents across all 64 districts after intelligence indicated that extremist elements might be plotting targeted attacks on police vehicles, key installations, and places of worship.
CHRONOLOGY OF RECENT INCIDENTS
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│ Dec 26 : Keraniganj Explosion │
│ Feb 21 : Attack on Police (Jatrabari) │
│ Mar 07 : Temple Yard Blast (Comilla) │
│ Jul 24 : Metro Station Pipe Bomb │
│ Recent : Ashulia Remote-Controlled IED │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Recent Discoveries Reveal Sophisticated Explosives
Security agencies escalated their response following two major incidents in the greater Dhaka area involving functional explosive devices. On July 24, law enforcement recovered a timer-equipped pipe bomb concealed inside an abandoned umbrella beneath the Motijheel Metro Rail Station.
Shortly after, on Friday, authorities deactivated a remote-controlled pressure-cooker IED in the Khejur Bagan area of Ashulia, Savar.
According to the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, both devices were active IEDs.
Investigators are actively probing the origins of these explosives and examining whether an organized extremist network is behind their placement in densely populated urban hubs.
Panic at Metro Stations Turns Out to Be False Alarms
Heightened public anxiety led to brief disruptions on Saturday afternoon when reports of “bomb-like” abandoned objects emerged near Farmgate and Mirpur-10 Metro Rail stations.
CTTC bomb disposal units responded promptly to both locations, applying Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Mirpur-10 station operations were temporarily suspended and passengers evacuated as a precaution.
However, detailed inspections confirmed that neither object contained hazardous materials—one bag contained betel leaf and tobacco containers, while the other held general waste.
“General public alertness prompted citizens to notify police upon seeing suspicious objects at the metro stations. There were no explosive components present. The public has no reason to panic,” said Mohammad Shamsul Haq, Additional Commissioner (CTTC) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
During a press briefing later in the afternoon, Shamsul Haq clarified that the scares at Mirpur and Farmgate were isolated incidents with no link to the Motijheel bomb recovery. He added that efforts to apprehend fleeing suspects linked to earlier radical networks remain ongoing.
Intelligence Points to Extremist Networks
The nationwide alert stems from ongoing investigations into a broader chain of violent acts and explosive recoveries over recent months:
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Keraniganj Explosion (Dec 26): An accidental blast at a rented residence housing the Ummul Qura International Madrasa uncovered a major bomb-making stash, including nitric acid, acetone, hydrogen peroxide, and nine prepared bombs. Seventeen individuals were arrested, including madrasa director Sheikh Al-Amin, a former extremist offender suspected of assembling the devices.
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Jatrabari Police Attack (Feb 21): A police constable was injured during a bag search at Kutubkhali, where fleeing assailants abandoned hand grenades.
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Comilla Blast (Mar 07): A hand bomb detonated on the grounds of the Kaligachtala Temple in Comilla.
Police sources confirm that CCTV analysis links associates of Keraniganj suspect Sheikh Al-Amin to multiple recent incidents.
Official intelligence suggests these rogue groups are displaying increased aggression in an attempt to gain attention from international terrorist leadership.
AIG Shahadat Hossain, spokesperson for Police Headquarters, reaffirmed that field units have been directed to maintain maximum operational readiness and security protocols until further notice.
Authorities have urged the public to report any suspicious or unattended objects immediately via the national emergency hotline 999.